Anti-Trafficking Training Draws Hotel, Government Leaders
"Brian and I have a clear message: human trafficking is not welcome in Georgia," first lady Marty Kemp tweeted Tuesday.
October 01, 2019 at 04:34 PM
4 minute read
A human trafficking awareness training session for hotel employees in Atlanta Tuesday brought together Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, first lady Marty Kemp, Attorney General Chris Carr, House Speaker Pro-Tempore Jan Jones, U.S. Rep. Doug Collins and U.S. Sen. David Perdue.
"Brian and I have a clear message: human trafficking is not welcome in Georgia," the first lady said Tuesday, retweeting a photo of some of the luminaries gathered at the InterContinental Buckhead at 3315 Peachtree Rd. "We will not stop fighting until the last victim is rescued—because one victim trapped is one too many."
She is a founder and co-chairwoman of the Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion, and Education (GRACE) Commission, and was one of the speakers at the training session.
"Through the GRACE Commission, Georgia has made significant progress in the fight to end human trafficking, and we're proud that the hotel industry is playing a leading role by continuing to train their associates on identifying and reporting human trafficking both here in Georgia and across the country," Marty Kemp said in a news release about the event. "We know there is always more to be done in this fight, and we are committed to working alongside partners like the hotel industry to end trafficking."
GRACE Commission members include Carr and other top law enforcement officials, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, faith-based institutions, and public safety experts.
"As a state, we are committed to working hand-in-hand across all levels of government to end trafficking, and our work on the GRACE Commission facilitates this vital collaboration," Carr said in a joint news release about Tuesday's gathering. "As we continue to expand our reach in this fight, we are so pleased to see hotels across Georgia partner with our law enforcement officers, who work tirelessly day in and day out to hold traffickers accountable."
The training session included ways to spot the signs of trafficking and take immediate action against it, according to the news release. Industry organizers included the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) and the Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association (GHLA). The news release said AAHOA membership accounts for nearly half the hotels in the country. The groups are conducting similar training sessions nationwide.
"The hospitality industry is committed to equipping hoteliers and their employees with the necessary tools to keep trafficking out of their hotels and communities. The education and training resources that AAHOA, AHLA and GHLA provide to the hospitality industry play a critical role in saving lives by ensuring hotel staff are trained to identify instances of trafficking and are prepared to take immediate action," said Rachel Humphrey, interim president and CEO of AAHOA.
"IHG condemns human trafficking in all forms and we are taking a strong stance on this issue as a leading voice in the hospitality industry. Raising awareness of human trafficking is critical, and it's more important now than ever that we work closely with our local, state and federal officials, as well as our industry partners, to tackle this issue, while also engaging and training hotel employees at every level to help them understand the role they can play in preventing human trafficking," said IHG Americas COO Colleen Keating.
"Hoteliers and their employees are the first line of defense when it comes to combating human trafficking and spotting victims. We are proud to partner across our industry and with leaders like the First Family and Attorney General Carr who are working diligently to combat this issue," said Jim Sprouse, president of GHLA.
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